


Your heart rate's a bit off

by punk_assnerd



Category: Percy Jackson and the Olympians & Related Fandoms - All Media Types, Percy Jackson and the Olympians - Rick Riordan
Genre: Apollo as the hot dad Doctor because no one can stop me, Basically everything in PJO universe is the same but theyre all human, College AU, M/M, Nursing Student Will, mention of blood since Nico is donating blood here
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-08-24
Updated: 2018-08-24
Packaged: 2019-07-01 21:13:24
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,614
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15782232
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/punk_assnerd/pseuds/punk_assnerd
Summary: NIco just wants to get this blood drive over with, but he didnt think it'd end the way it did.





	Your heart rate's a bit off

**Author's Note:**

> HEEEY SO THIS IDEA IS BASICALLY FROM A TWEET I SAW ON TWITTER HAHAHAH (https://twitter.com/cursedbythegods/status/1032477301773021185)
> 
> please don't hate me i just really wanted to write this AU
> 
> Enjoy!!!

It’s 2:52 pm on Nico’s watch and he wants nothing more than to be swallowed up whole by the ground.

It’s been a week since he took his last exam for their midterms and he could be sleeping like a baby right now, or watching another chick-flick with Hazel on his barely operational laptop as they eat ice cream while lying down on Nico’s bed, but instead he’s sitting in the cold and slightly uncomfortable chair in their uni’s clinic waiting for a nurse who’s gonna stab him and bleed him to death.

Okay, so he’s just going to participate in a blood drive, but what he said was technically true to some extent.

Obviously, this isn’t his idea.  
His annoying and obnoxiously loud friend, Percy, had suggested it to him. Percy said that the medic during their swim team’s practices and competition was the one who had organized the event with the help of the Student Body President, who happens to also be his girlfriend, the ever so infamous Annabeth Chase. And Percy, the ever so annoying friend that he is, had convinced Nico to participate.

If you call writing someone’s name on the list of volunteers as a way of convincing, that is.

Honestly, Nico only went down to the clinic for two things. First is that he knew he was too skinny to be allowed to donate, and that if he didn’t show up, then Percy would annoy him. Well, annoy him more than usual.

But luck must be onto Nico’s ass because he actually gained weight since the last time he checked and the students helping in the clinic had asked him to wait for his name to be called out and they’d take a sample of his blood first to check if he’s allowed to donate, and then continue on with the process.

He blames Jason for this, by the way. The blonde jock had been dragging Nico during his morning runs and then proceeding on feeding him a mountain of “all organic breakfast” that was prepared by his girlfriend, Piper. Jason and he had been friends ever since Jason saw Nico almost passing out on the bleachers during his P.E. class. Nico swears it was due to the heat and not because of his nonexistent exercise and totally healthy eating habits.

“Nicolas di Angelo?” Nico looked around and waited if someone was going to get up. But a moment passed and no one did. He sighed and raised his hand as he got up from his seat.

“Sorry. It’s actually just Nico di Angelo. My friend wrote my name for me and he must’ve made a mistake” Nico says as his brain starts to think of at least 8 ways to strangle Percy.

“That’s no problem. You’re on for the interview now. Just proceed inside and the Nurse is just gonna ask you a few questions before you proceed” the student nurse then gave Nico the form’s he filled up earlier and motioned for him to get inside.

Nico saw a tanned and blonde man signing some papers on his desk as he walked in.

“Good afternoon!” The man stood up and shook Nico’s hand and motioned for Nico to take a seat.  
“I’m the head nurse for the day. You can call me Apollo.” The man then smiled at Nico and Nico cant help but gawk at how handsome he was. His blonde hair a perfect contrast to his tanned skin and his smile just makes Nico wanna look away.

Nico cleared his throat and said a quiet “Okay” and the man started with his questions.  
They were all standard questions, Nico guessed. Do you have any heart related sickness? When were you last caught with a cold or fever? When was the last time you were hospitalized? But the last ones caught Nico’s attention.

“Have you had sexual intercourse with a prostitute lately? Or have you participated in sexual intercourse with another man?” 

Nico could just say no to both. But he didn’t.

“Why are those questions in the same context?”

The man, or as Nico’s mind registered him as Handsome Apollo, looked confused at Nico, more on the fact that he asked a question rather than by the question itself. He looked at Nico’s neutral expression and he seems to get where he’s coming from.

“Uhm. We do not actually mean anything by it, to be honest. We just-“

“No. on both questions.” Nico cut him off, feeling kind of off by the questions, still, but hi didn’t want to make a scene.

“Right. Okay. Well that’s about it.” The nurse smiled awkwardly and stood up from his seat.  
“You’re clear for the testing. Just head on out there and tell the student’s outside and they’ll know what to do.”  
Apollo shook his hand again but Nico could see the uneasy glint in his smile as Nico headed out of the door.

Outside, the student assisted him to another room where at least 5 more people are waiting as student nurses prepare whatever they need to extract blood from his body.

Nico’s never this dramatic. He’s just really nervous.

He took the seat at the farthest end and took out his phone from his pocket. But before he could even begin his creative and totally detailed message for Percy on how he’s going to murder him. A blonde student nurse with a face mask came up to him and asked him if he’s ready. Nico nodded weakly and pocketed his phone again. The nurse then checked on Nico’s arms to see which arm was best for the bleeding and which was best for the blood sample.

“Bleeding?” Nico asked in a slightly higher tone of voice.  
the nurse nodded a bit and explained. “That’s what we call when we extract the blood later on.”  
Nico may have been freaking out a bit but he still couldn’t help but notice how soothing the nurse’s voice was.  
“Great. It’s totally an appropriate term.” Nico sarcastically said out of nervousness.  
The nurse then laughed a bit and took off his face mask.  
Nico hates how the universe keeps giving him attractive guys at the worst fucking timing.

“Maybe seeing that I’m human can help you calm down a bit.” The nurse joked as he took hold of Nico’s left arm and checked for his veins again.  
“Don’t worry, I’ll be as gentle as I can. Okay?” Nico nodded almost as soon as the nurse finished talking and just stared at his face while the nurse was tying up Nico’s upper arm, constricting his barely visible biceps and he suddenly felt conscious of his skinny arm.  
“Do you work out?” the nurse asked Nico. And Nico was too baffled by the question that he gave out a nervous laugh.  
“Do I look like I do?” It was sarcastic. It was supposed to be rhetoric as well. But then the nurse eyed his body head to toe and Nico felt at least three of his veins burst right around his neck.  
“I’m not sure. But you look like you at least exercise. Am I right?” the nurse asked as he put a cotton ball in the middle of a ripped masking tape and placing it right under the tie on Nico’s arm.  
“Ye-Yeah. Not voluntarily, but yeah.”  
The nurse laughed a little louder at that and Nico could’ve sworn it’s the same sound he heard when he dreamt of dying and arriving at heaven’s door.  
“Well, exercise is good. Okay. I’m going to start now, okay? Is this your first time?”  
The question was probably innocent but Nico’s mind hates him so he kind of translated that in another context. Nico can feel the blush creeping up his neck when he nodded and he can see the nurse’s gaze turn into a soft, sort of understanding kind of look.

“Okay. Here’s what we’re gonna do. Do you see the freckles around my eyes?”  
Nico was a bit confused at the question but he wouldn’t pass up on the chance to freely stare at the nurses face. He can see constellations of freckels dusting around the nurses face. Around his eyebrows and a few on top of his now and cheek bones.

“When I say “now” I want you to start counting them. Okay?”  
Nico was confused at first but then it hit him that the nurse was trying to distract him.  
He let out a small okay and then the nurse started counting down from 3.

The moment the nurse said now, Nico felt a really small pressure on his arm and then he started counting.  
He started at his nose. There were five small ones there. Then he went to his cheeks but his eyes stopped and stared at the nurses eyes. They were blue. Really bright and vibrant blue. His gaze was focused downward, towards Nico’s arm, so Nico took advantage of it and stared for as long as he could. A few seconds passed and then blue eyes were staring right back at him. 

“You okay?” Nico was startled out of his thoughts and sees how the nurse was now holding a syringe filled with his blood.  
He nodded and instinctively looked down at his arm, now taped up with a strip of masking tape with a cotton ball on it.

“You did great for your first time. Now just wait here for a few minutes and we’ll see if you can donate blood or not. Okay?”  
“The bleeding?” Nico asked. The nurse looked at him, amused, and then nodded his head.  
“Yeah, the bleeding. Don’t worry too much.” And with that the nurse walked away and Nico took his phone out from his pocket again but this time it was Hazel’s contact that he pulled up to text.

“Hazel. Help me out. I’m freaking out and im going to be bleeding in about five minutes.”

Again. Not dramatic, just nervous.

 

Nico excused himself outside to answer Hazel’s call a few seconds after he had hit send on his phone.

“What’s happening? Where are you? I have Frank ready to call the police to get to you.”

“Police? What?”

“You said you were bleeding! What am I supposed to do?!”

“No! that’s not- I’m participating in the blood drive today and im gay panicking. Help me.”

The line went silent with only Hazel’s restrained huffs coming through then Nico hears rustling from the other line.

“Hello? Nico?” it was Frank now, Hazel’s Boyfriend.

“Frank? Where’s Hazel?” Nico them hears incoherent yelling on the other line that he knew was from his sister. 

“She said some very, uh, descriptive things about you bleeding and her blood pressure rising.” Frank chuckles uncomfortably and Nico sighs.

“Ugh. Tell her I’m sorry. There’s this really cute nurse here who I just met and I’m freaking out.”

Frank laughs at him from the other line and Nico deflates even more.

“You are of no help, Frank.” Nico deadpans. Which earns him even more laughing from the other line.

“Dude, seriously. First of all, calm down. Freaking out probably isn’t good when you’re about to donate blood. And secondly. Just ask his name and number and you’re set.”

“Easy for you to say, you big chunk of tofu.”

Frank laughed at his weak attempt of retaliation and Nico deflates even more.  
“Look, we can’t really help much there. Just calm down, and ask his name. okay? Okay. Bye Nico!”

Frank had cut off the call before Nico could even say anything. He typed a quick “I am going to murder you Perseus” before pocketing his phone and going back inside the room.

When he stepped in he saw that everyone had already transferred to the next room and everyone else with him earlier are already lying down on different beds with a nurse tending to them. He then saw his nurse on an empty bed, arranging some things at the edge of the bed

“Hey. You ready?” the nurse asked him and motioned for Nico to get on the bed.  
Nico belatedly realized that he had to take off his shoes and he regrets wearing these socks today. He unties his high cuts off and got on the bed. The nurse saw his socks and Nico can feel his life force draining because of how amused the nurse seems to be at the sight of his socks.

“Are those skulls and crossbones?” the nurse asked with a slight smirk playing on his lips.  
“Yeah. If I had known they’d embarrass me today I would’ve worn the ones with swords on them.” Nico jokes and the nurse laughs again.

“They haven’t embarrassed you yet, though. I mean, I think they’re cool.” Nico then wishes he could just be swallowed whole by the bed and suffocate him till his luchs was filled with springs and foam.

“We’re gonna start now okay?” the nurse then leaned down a bit to check on Nico’s pulse on his arm and a few seconds pass and his eyebrow quirked up and a slight scowl was on his face.  
“That can’t be right..” he said quietly. Then he proceeded to grab hold of Nico’s wrist to check his pulse there and Nico freaks out a bit because his hands are so fucking soft and warm.  
The nurse then sighed and laid Nico’s hand down gently on the bed again, he checked on Nico’s form again, probably to check on his recorded blood pressure.  
“Your heart rate’s a bit off it’s kind of-“ he then looked at Nico and Nico could see the nurse’s face right at the moment he realized what’s wrong, “kind of above normal.” The nurse then smirked a bit and Nico just wants to stab the syringe at his eyes to excuse himself from here.

“Nico? It’s Nico right?” The nurse said as he read Nico’s name from his form.  
“I can’t begin the process if you don’t calm down a bit.” The nurse was smiling at him now, a bit of embarrassment painted on his smile.

“Yeah. Sorry.”  
Nico took a deep breath and closed his eyes.  
it seems to be working. “can you check again?” Nico said, eyes still closed in fear of making his heart race again at the sight.  
He could feel the nurse check his pulse from his wrist again and he said he’s okay to proceed now.

“Can I keep my eyes closed?” Nico asked.  
“Of course. Whatever helps.”  
Nico then could feel the same pattern of step the nurse did earlier but no he has more tape on his arm and he could feel him sort of cleaning the fold on his arm twice before asking him if he was ready. Nico nodded and braced himself as the nurse counted down from three. Nico was surprised that it hurt less than earlier.  
“Here.” Nico could feel the nurse open his hand and placed something on it. “Squeeze it every five second or so to help with the blood flow.” Nico gave it a squeeze and did as he was told.  
Nico felt the edge of the bed around his legs dip right before the nurse spoke again.

“My name’s Will. Would you be okay if we talked? It could help distract you from it.”  
Nico nodded and Will continued.  
“Well, I’m Will Solace. I’m 22 years old. And I’m a fifth year nursing student here.”  
“I’m Nico di Angelo. I’m also 22 and I’m taking Business Management.” Nico says, eyes still closed.  
“Business Management? With those socks? Are you sure?” Will joked and Nico couldn’t help but chuckle a bit.  
“Yeah. I took up Business Management because I want to take over my dad’s business someday. I want to make him proud.” Nico blurted out out of nervousness but he hears will hum in response.  
“I get what you mean. I took up Nursing because I think I could help out more people with it. And also because my dad’s a doctor. You probably met him already. He conducted the interviews earlier.” And Nico feels his heart drop to his stomach.

“Oh. That’s cool.”  
“Yeah. He helped me organize this with the Student Body Pres.. You know Annabeth?”  
Nico rolls his eyes regardless of them being closed. “Everyone knows Annabeth here. But yeah. Unfortunately I’m friends with her annoying boyfriend.”

“Wait. Percy?”  
“Yeah. You know him?”  
“Yeah! I’m in the medic team during swim meet ups and he’s really nice and friendly. He even helped us get more volunteers for today.” Will sounds awfully thankful for Percy and Nico sinks deeper on the bed.  
“Yeah. I’m on the list of people he manipulated into going.” Nico say’s dejectedly.  
“Really? Well-“ Nico hears Will take a deep breath before completing his sentence, “well I’m glad he did.”

Nico was glad he has his eyes closed because at least he can’t see Will seeing him blush like a fucking tomato. 

“Alright you’re up. Let me just take this off.” Nico then feels Will’s fingers gently on his arms and then he feels his move the masking tape from this biceps to where the needle is. He can feel Will pull out the needle gently and then add more tape on the area.

Nico blinked his eyes open and lets them adjust to the light.  
“Don’t get up yet. Okay? Just lie down till I get back.” Nico doesn’t know if his eyes were still adjusting to the light but he could’ve sworn he saw Will’s cheeks flushing a bit as he walked away from his bed.  
Nico feels his phone vibrate on his pocket and used his left arm to pull it out. It’s a test from Percy.

“Please don’t. Annie would kill me if I died before our anniversary.”  
Nico rolls his eyes at how confusing Percy’s reply was and began typing his response.  
“I’ll reconsider your murder if you do me a favor.”

Nico can see Percy type as soon as he hit sent and his reply was asking what favor.

“Your friend, Will? I need his number and he won’t know that you give it to me.”  
Nico huffs out a breath and sees Percy typing again.

the first two replies were a bunch of keyboard smash messages and the third was a short “okay” with a winking emoji at the end.

Nico closes his eyes again and wishes the blush he can feel coming up to go the fuck away.

“You okay?” It was Will’s voice.  
Nico sat up and saw Will holding a packet of juice in one hand and a ziplocked cookie the size of Nico’s head on the other.

“Here. It’ll help you feel better.” Will handed them to Nico and Nico placed them on his lap.  
“You feeling any type of discomfort? Dizziness? Wanting to throw up? Anything?”

“Honestly I just feel kind of sleepy.” Nico said as he tries to rub the drowsiness form his eyes.

“Cute.” Nico hears Will say quietly and he whipped his head so fast towards Will he could feel his neck crack a bit from stiffness.

“Come on. I’ll see you out before the next batch comes up.”

Nico then put on his shoes and grabbed his juice and cookie from the bed before following Will outside the clinic.

The moment Nico stepped outside he sees Will turn around to face him with a smile on his face.  
“Can I have your number?” Will asked and Nico stares at him, completely still.

“You want my number?”

“Yeah. But it’s okay if you don’t want to-“

“No! No no no I want to give it. But-“ Nico looked down at his hands and then decided to take his phone out from his pocket.

“But I get to have yours too.” Nico says as he wills his hand not to shake so damn much as he hands Will his phone.  
Will laughs quietly at that and proceeded to type in his number.

“Here. Uhm, you should probably eat that and then sleep a bit.” Will said as he hands Nico his phone back.  
“And, uh, If you want we can get something to eat later? I mean, only if you want to.” Will says with an unsure smile and Nico melts on the inside.

 

"I don't know... Is it gonna be better than this gigantic cookie?"

Will smiles brightly at him and nodded.

 

“Then sure. I’d love that.”  
With that Nico waved him good bye and started on munching on his cookie. He then decided to type in another text to percy.

“Turns out I don’t need that favor. I already got his number. I’d watch my back if I were you Jackson.”  
Nico knows that Percy knows he’s just messing around but he couldn’t help but laugh at the endless apologies the elder was sending him. 

“You wouldn’t have met him if it weren’t for me Nico! ME! Do you think your future husband would like knowing you killed the match that lit the fire that is your love? NO!”

Nico shook his head and decided to ignore Percy and the rather uneven fluttering of his heart.  
But before he could pocket his phone his phone started ringing, he saw the contact and smiled before answering.

“Look. He brought this upon himself. His doom is inevitable.”  
Nico can hear Annabeth sigh from the other line and slightly hears Percy as well.

“I’m just calling to say that I may murder him before you if he does not stop. Now tell me why you want to murder my boyfriend.”

And Nico smiled as he said it all started out with wanting to be swallowed whole by the ground.

**Author's Note:**

> Yell at me on twitter @punk_assnerd


End file.
